Do my mom need knee replacement surgery immediately?

[xiaopeng]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Dear doctors:[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]My mom is 65 years old and she has [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]arthritis problem for more than 20 years. She started to have osteophyte in her knees for more than 5 years. My mom took pain relieve pills for her arthritis pain in the last 5 years. The pain of her knee is getting worse on her right knee and she can not move now. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Attaches are the two X-ray images of her right knee she took on May 2009 and Sept. 2009[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]. Could some doctors provide suggestions that my mom need to do [/FONT]knee replacement surgery immediately or she can do another surgery like just clean the [FONT=Times New Roman, serif]osteophyte in her knee?[/FONT]
Thanks!

Xiaopeng

 

[Texas]

Hi Welcome glad you posted if it were me and just me I would get it done and over with chances are they will do a clean up and she will be back again.......Get it done if they are saying she needs it I would and live her life pain free and enjoy.........Its not fun to be in pain all the time at least the surgery pain will go away this pain now wont.......good luck to her please let us know what she decides............) Best wishes to her !!!!!!!

 

[Josephine]

Osteophytes are arthritis, honey. And by the look of those knees, she could do with new joints as soon as possible. It's the only way she can get her movement back.

Is there a reason you or she would prefer not to have them done? Apart from it being a scary procedure from that side of things. Tell your mom that many here are her age (me for one!) and had them done and we're just fine. Don't let her keep putting it off else she'll spend the rest of her life in a wheel chair and that's an awful waste of a life.

God bless you for caring about her enough to ask. Does she use computers?

 

[loggon]

Your mom needs surgery as soon as possible. She will do fine and be so happy she had it done.

 

[xiaopeng]

Thanks for your replys.
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]My mom can not use computers and she does not understand English. The reason my mon is afraid of the knee replacement surgery is that she has high blood pressure and heart problem. Cleaning [/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]osteophyte in her knee maybe easier to recover. From[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif] the X-ray images of her right knees, how severe of her problem?[/FONT]

Xiaopeng

 

[loggon]

I have high blood pressure and there is no problem as long as it is under control.

Have you checked with her orthopedic. You need to get a really good orthopedic one that does knee replacements and one that does a number of them a year.

Have him check your mom and let him tell you.

But if Jo says she needs it then I would put my money on Jo.

But you really need to take her to someone you trust and follow what they say. She is only 65 and there are a lot of folks on here a lot older than that.

 

[calling_all_angels]

xiaopeng,
We are not Doctor's here we are just people who have had our knee's replaced.
Josephine is an orthopaedic nurse of 50 years experience in joint replacement.
And she has told you that your Mother should see a Doctor about knee replacements.
Josephine has told you your Mother should not keep putting it off else she'll spend the rest of her life in a wheel chair and that's would be a awful.
Now you must do the rest by taking your Mother to a Doctor that does joint replacements as soon as you can.

 

[xiaopeng]

Thanks for your kind hearted reply! I know a lot of information now. I will take my mom to see the doctor.

 

[Judles]

Welcome Xiaopeng!!! You've come to the right place! I wish both you and your Mom get relief SOON!! She's very lucky she has such a caring daughter!!! (0)

 

[Surfsister]

The knee replacement didn't affect my high blood pressure at all. While I was on the pain pills, my pressure went down so low that I didn't need to take my medication for awhile. Alas, now my pressure is back to normal. However, I'm fine. I think pain, especially that from arthritis, is more likely to make one's pressure shoot up than knee replacement surgery is.

 

[Jamie]

Welcome xia.....so glad you found BoneSmart!

I agree with what the others have said. There is no way to "clean out" knees that are affected by arthritis. The disease destroys your cartilage (the cushion in the joint between the bones) and eventually you get bones grinding on bones. That is what is going on with your Mom and it's why she is in so much pain. Knee replacements are the answer.

Do some research and find an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in knee replacements....one that does HUNDREDS of these surgeries each year. Once you find someone like this that you trust, put yourselves in his or her hands and do what they recommend.

I know the prospect of surgery is scary, but many here on the forum have had it done successfully and are living better lives because of it. Your Mom has lots of life left to enjoy!!!

The doctors are used to working with health problems such as heart issues and high blood pressure. They will be sure to perform all types of pre-surgery testing to be sure they know all about her current health problems. They have many ways of dealing with them in the operating room. I have irregular heartbeats and high blood pressure and came through my knee replacement just fine.

Speaking of the high blood pressure, is your Mom seeing a doctor for that? If not, please get her to a general practitioner (GP) as soon as possible so she can be put on medication to keep her pressure within normal ranges. This is VERY important in her everyday life.

God bless you for being there for her. She has a gem of a daughter. Let us know how things go. We care about both of you!

 

[FrogFeathers]

I just wanted to chime in about the high blood pressure-

I have had high blood pressure since I was 26 years old. Been controlled with medication since I was 29 years old. I also have asthma (under control since 32ish years old) and I did fine during and after surgery.

Good luck to your mom.